Widespread Pig Virus

A virus that kills young pigs is roiling the U.S. pork industry, boosting prices in the $9 billion hog-futures market and threatening to create more pain for food shoppers.
The disease, which has spread to farms in 22 states, is cutting into pork supplies and prompting some traders and investors to wager that hog prices could set records this year. Lean-hog futures rose to a seven-week high a week ago and are up 6% since mid-December.
Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus, or the PED virus, appeared in the U.S. for the first time in April and has killed thousands of piglets since then. The virus, which causes severe diarrhea and vomiting, is fatal only to young pigs and poses no threat to human health or food safety, according to swine veterinarians. The U.S. strain is nearly identical to a version that curbed hog production in China in 2012.
The extent of the impact is unclear because farms don't have to report incidents or death totals to federal regulators. Smithfield Foods Inc., the world's largest pork producer, and other meatpackers estimate that about 10% of the nation's sows, or adult female hogs, have been infected by the virus, which can spread to their offspring.
Smithfield, a unit of China's Shuanghui International Holdings Ltd., said last month the virus could result in a loss to U.S. pig production this year of two million to three million head, or up to 3% of the industry's total. Hormel Foods Corp., the maker of Spam, warned recently its earnings for fiscal 2014 could be affected by "potentially volatile hog costs" due to the virus.
To ward off the disease, many U.S. hog farmers are redoubling safety practices, including disinfecting equipment and workers' footwear. But many say they find it difficult to prevent.
"This is the toughest disease we've ever gone through," said Mike Brandherm, a general manager with Hitch Pork Producers, a Guymon, Okla., livestock producer that lost 30,000 piglets in six weeks in a 2013 outbreak. "It was stunning how fast the disease spread. You feel helpless."

"Freedom isn't free" --Colonel Walter Hitchcock
“The most important six inches on the battlefield is between your ears.” General 'Mad Dog' James Mattis
non semper erit aestas- It will not always be summer (be prepared for hard times)!!

There has been a lot of news regarding this new virus that has been affecting the U.S. pork industry. The disease has spread to farms in 22 states, killing thousands of small pigs and therefore, driving up prices.
According to the Wall Street Journal, lean-hog futures rose to a 7-week high a week ago, up 6 percent since mid-December.
In the wake of this news, there’s one concern a lot of people may be having: Is this virus dangerous to humans?
I want to be very clear about this: The porcine epidemic diarrhea virus - or the PED virus - is a type of a coronavirus that is unique to the porcine species. This disease affects pigs by giving them gastroenteritis, an infection of the intestines that leads to diarrhea and dehydration. The virus is especially dangerous for small piglets, and it’s highly contagious - like any viral disease.
So the good news is it does not affect humans in any way, shape or form. In fact, the virus does not affect any other animal.
Pork meat is safe to eat, and therefore, consumers should not be afraid to continue eating pig products that are being sold in U.S. supermarkets.
Like any other meat product, proper food hygiene and cooking procedures are still relevant, but don't be afraid as you hear stories about PED that this virus could affect your health or the health of your family.

"Freedom isn't free" --Colonel Walter Hitchcock
“The most important six inches on the battlefield is between your ears.” General 'Mad Dog' James Mattis
non semper erit aestas- It will not always be summer (be prepared for hard times)!!

Frigid temperatures across a large swath of the United States this week followed by warmer conditions could aid the spread of a fatal pig disease now in 22 states, affecting hundreds of thousands of pigs, a swine veterinarian said on Thursday.
"The virus likes cold, wet and cloudy days," said Rodney Baker, a swine veterinarian at Iowa State University at Ames, Iowa, the top pork producing state in the United States.
At this time of year the virus gets frozen on clothes and shoes, making it easy to track around and spread, Baker added.
Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus (PEDv), which causes diarrhea, vomiting and severe dehydration in hogs, has spread quickly across the U.S. hog belt since its discovery in the United States in April 2013.
California and Wyoming are the latest states to report confirmed cases of the deadly pig virus, bringing the number of states affected to 22, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said on Thursday.
The number of new cases increased by 134 for the week of December 29, bringing total reported cases to 2,084, according to the USDA's National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN).
U.S. TRUCKING INDUSTRY TARGETED
Earlier this week several hog producing states experienced double digit sub zero temperatures, and forecasters now are calling for warmer temperatures as highs climb toward 30 degrees Fahrenheit by the weekend.
Baker told Reuters the virus can remain viable after a single, maybe even a couple of freeze-thaw cycles. Cold weather and cloudy conditions protect the virus, but heat and sunlight will deactivate it, Baker said.
The spread of the disease has heightened scrutiny of the U.S. trucking industry as livestock transport trailers are seen as a means of transmission.
Trucks need to be washed, disinfected and heated to deactivate PEDv, hog industry health officials have said.
However, if a sprayed disinfectant is not given ample time to activate before the truck is driven in freezing temperatures, the virus will not be killed and can infect the next load of pigs hauled in the trailer, Baker said.
Heating trucks after washing and using disinfectant is the best way to rid them of the virus, but they are not washed frequently due to time and expense constraints, U.S. hog industry veterinarians have said.
It can take at least two hours and costs of upwards of $500 to wash, disinfect and dry a truck properly, Baker said.
Studies done at Iowa State University found temperatures as high as 155 to 160 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes will kill, or deactivate PEDv, Baker said.
The virus, which is transmitted orally and through pig feces, has left the hog industry scrambling to curb its spread and has fueled concerns that hog supplies will fall in the spring and summer.
There are no official figures for pigs lost to the disease but U.S. hog industry analysts estimate one million to four million have died.

"Freedom isn't free" --Colonel Walter Hitchcock
“The most important six inches on the battlefield is between your ears.” General 'Mad Dog' James Mattis
non semper erit aestas- It will not always be summer (be prepared for hard times)!!

Well I'm glad I got the bacon now. You know it's interesting, it seems lately that when some food item is 'threatened' I find it on sale at the grocery store or the food bank has lots of that food to give away. Makes me wonder...are the stores are deliberately getting rid of the current cheap stuff to make room for more expensive food?

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